Heat exchanger



Dec. 26, 1939.

B. C. SHIPMAN HEAT EXCHANGER Original Filed July 29, 1952 I INVENTOR.

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Patented Dec. 26, 1939 HEAT EXCHAN GER Be'nnct Carroll Shipman, Evansville, Ind.,- assignor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application July 29, 1932, Serial No. 625,936. Divided and this applicationApril 13,- 1937, Serial N0. 136,530

2 Claims.

This invention relates to heat exchangers, and more particularly to heat exchangers of the type having a plurality of plates arranged to provide a number of closely adjacent passages for efiecting heat transfer between the fluids flowing through the passages. This application is a division of my application Serial No. 625,936, filed July 29, 1932. 7

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved heat exchanger employing a plurality of closely adjacent plates to obtain a relatively large amount of heat transfer surface in a minimum amount of space.

The above and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and of which Fig. l is a perspective view of a heat exchanger embodying the invention; and Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken on lines 22 and 3-3, respectively, of Fig. 1, to illustrate parts of the heat exchanger more clearly.

Referring to the drawing, the heat exchanger embodying the invention includes a casing l8 having inlet and outlet openings I l and I2 for fluid flowing through one group of passages l3, and inlet and outlet openings l4 and I5 for fluid flowing. through another group of passages IS in the casing. The casing I0 is rectangular in section and formed of' side members I! and top and bottom enclosure plates l8 having crimps or raised U-shaped bends l9 extending in a lengthwise direction.

The side members I! and enclosure plates l8 support and maintain in properly spaced relation a plurality of heat transfer plates 20 disposed alongside each other and extending between the opposite side walls of thecasing having the inlet and outlet openings. The plates 20 and enclosure plates I8 are so constructed and. arranged that they form a structure which extends across the casing to provide the passages l3 and I6.

The enclosure plates l8 extend the full length of casing l8 and are provided with the parallel crimps or U-shaped-bends 19 to receive the lon- At the outlet l5, for example, as shown in Figs.

1 and 3, the openings in the top enclosure plate I 8 are' aligned with the passages l6 while the passages l3 are closed; and conversely, at the inlet II, the openings or slots in the bottom en.

closure plate l8 are aligned with the passages 13 while the passages l6 are closed.

Cover plates 2| having a plurality of crimps or U-shaped bends 22 to receive the ends of the side members I! and plates 20 form the end walls of the casing. The portions 23 of the plates l8- extending to the cover plates 2| are provided with tabs 24 which are secured, as by welding, to the inside of the cover plates 2|. The cover plates 2| are of such length that the outer ends thereof form the outer walls of duct sockets at the inlet and outlet openings ll,. I2, I 4 and I5. At the inlet and outlet openings the top and bottom of the side members I! project outward to form the side walls 25 of the-duct sockets.

Plates or members 26 extend across the casing at the inner edges of the openings-to form the inner walls of the duct sockets. The cross members 26 are provided with a crimp or U-shaped bend 21 at each end to receive the inner edge of an outwardly projecting portion 25. The members 26 are notched to straddle the U-shaped bends IQ of the top and bottom enclosure plates I8 and are welded or soldered thereto. Tabs 28 at the inner edges of the openings or slots formed in the enclosure plates l8 are bent upward and secured, as by welding, for example, to the cross members 26. The portions of the enclosure plates I8 between the tabs 28 are secured by angle members 29 to the cross members 26.

It will now be understood that the passages l3 and I6 extend the entire length-of the heat .exchanger between the inlet and outlet openings ll, l2, l4 and I5. The passages I3 are open at the inlet II and outlet l2 and closed at the inlet l4 and outlet 15 so that fluid will flowfrom the inlet II to outlet l2 in passages l3, as indicated by the small circles and crosses in Figs. 2 and 3; and conversely, the passages l6 are open at the inlet l4 and outlet 15 and closed at the inlet l I and outlet l2, so that fluid will flow-from inlet M to outlet l5 in passages I6, as indicated by the small circles. The inlets and outlets have been arbitrarily chosen for counter-flow of fluids in the passages I3 and I6. It is to be understood, however, that the inlets and outlets may be chosen to provide for parallel flow of fluids in the passages l3 and Hi.

In assemblingthe heat exchanger, it is only necessary to apply pressure to the crimps or U- shaped bends of the enclosure plates l8 and cover plates 2|. The metal at the crimps is preferably tinned so that, upon application of heat and pressure, the parts of the heat exchanger may be efiectively united by solder. The cross members 26, angle members 29, and tabs 24 and 28 are preferably welded in place, as described above, to efiectively seal the passages l3 and I6.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as pointed out in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger including a casing having two openings at each end thereof and comprising longitudinal side walls and end Walls, a plurality of heat transfer plates disposed alongside each other within said casing between opposite side walls, said plates and the side walls of said casing forming a plurality of closely adjacent passages extending between the openings at the opposite ends of said casing, said longitudinal side walls having a plurality of projecting portions at their ends, and means including said projecting portions for closing alternate passages to one of the openings at each end of the casing and for closing the other passages to the other of the openings at each end of the casing, two of the openings at opposite ends of the casing serving as an inlet and outlet for fluid flowing through alternate passages and the other two openings at the ends of the casing serving as an inlet and outlet for fluid flowing through the other passages.

2. A heat exchanger comprising a casing including members forming end walls 'and other members forming longitudinal side walls, said casing having two openings adjacent both ends of two opposite side walls, a plurality of heat transfer plates disposed alongside of each other within said casing and engaging the side walls having the openings to provide a plurality of closely adjacent passages between said plates, said members forming the longitudinal side walls having spaced projecting end portions at the openings which extend to said end walls, said spaced projecting portions being formed and arranged to close alternate passages at the longitudinal edges of said plates and the spaces therebetween providing open passages between the closed passages, and two of the openings at opposite ends of said casing serving as an inlet and outlet for fluid flowing through alternate passages and the other two openings at opposite ends of the casing serving as an inlet and outlet for fluid flowing through the other passages.

BENNET CARROLL SHIPMAN. 

